Cricket Betting in Canada

Cricket is surprisingly popular in Canada and in fact, the country took part in the first ever international game, against the USA, way back in 1844. The two teams still play every year for the Auty Cup while the growth of the T20 game around the world has also helped to develop the sport in Canada.

In 2018, Canadians welcomed the Global T20 league which featured top stars from all across the globe. With this rise in popularity, betting on cricket in Canada is also starting to develop at a rapid pace and it is set to increase significantly in the months and years ahead.

Is Cricket Betting Legal in Canada?

Cricket betting is legal in Canada but it is subject to very strict rules as laid down by the government. Any sportsbook that sets up to trade online within the country has to obtain a licence and they must adhere to certain regulations in order to attain and keep it.

There is, what is commonly referred to as a ‘grey zone’ where any operator who is based offshore can open their doors to Canadian players if they want to. Some sportsbooks won’t do this but many companies such as bet365, SportingBet, 888Sport and Royal Panda are happy to accommodate customers from Canada.

These companies will have their own restrictions in terms of age and other qualifying rules so check eligibility first but if you qualify, it is perfectly legal to use them to bet on cricket.

Types of Cricket Betting

Like many sports, cricket offers a lot of options for the sports betting community, starting with the straight result for any match. There are long term markets for the big tournaments too so punters can back the outright winner for the World Cup, the Indian Premier League, the Ashes and much more.

There is also a wide choice of prop bets such as top batsman, top bowler and more, and the selection increases depending on the popularity and importance of the match. For Canadians that want to get involved, here is a guide to the type of cricket bets available.

Match Betting

Betting on the result remains the most popular market option for cricket punters: There are three forms of the game and that’s important because there is a different range of bets depending on which form the match takes.

For test and first class cricket which is played over several days, bettors can stake on a win for either side or a drawn game. However, in 50 Over or T20 cricket, there is a limited set of overs and here, the draw is not an option so it’s just a case of betting on which of the two sides you think will win the fixture.

Tied Match Betting

It is possible in all forms of the game for a tie to take place and this happens if all innings are complete and both sides have scored the same number of runs. It’s distinctly different to a draw and in some areas of the sportsbooks, it may be possible to bet on a tied game.

Other bookmakers will, alternatively, pay out on the draw if scores are tied while some will apply their dead heat rules. A tie is very rare in cricket but it does happen, more commonly in the limited overs forms of the game and the odds for such an event can be very long.

Series Winner Betting

When two teams play each other over a set number of cricket matches, it’s referred to as a series and there are betting markets attached to the outright win and also, correct score. These could relate to England v Australia in a five test match Ashes series or India v South Africa in three T20 games between the two.

Series betting can relate to all three forms of the game and bettors can stake ahead of the first game and / or continue to place their bets all the way through until that series comes to an end.

Outright Winner Betting

When outright winner betting is mentioned in relation to cricket, it refers to a competition involving several teams. This could be a global tournament such as the ICC 50 Over World Cup or a competition within a certain country. One of the most popular tournaments is the Indian Premier League but outright cricket betting markets will also be available for the Big Bash in Australia, the T20 Blast in the UK and, of course, the new Global T20 competition which was held in Canada in 2019.

Wherever there is a tournament involving three or more teams, a set of outright cricket betting markets are certain to appear.

In Play / Live Betting

Cricket is a game where fortunes can change in a very short space of time and that’s one of the reasons why the sport is so popular for those that like to bet in play. The same choice of regular markets are available including match result, top batsman and more, plus there are markets that are specific to live betting such as next wicket to fall.

The fast-paced nature of T20 cricket is perfect for live betting although the majority of Canadian-friendly sportsbooks will also have active live markets for 50 over, test match and first class cricket too.

Cricket Betting Tips

As we’ve seen, there are lots of betting options to cover when it comes to betting on cricket but are there strategies to take into account that could help punters return a regular profit? Like all sports, the first key is to do plenty of research into form of both the teams that are involved and the individual players taking part.

Beyond that simple method, there are advanced tips that include looking at pitch conditions, head to head results between the two sides and whether those teams and players have good records at the ground where the game is taking place. Advanced tips can be found in greater detail but the vital thing to remember is to do that research thoroughly or, at the very least, you can look for the best cricketing tipsters.

How to Bet on Cricket

Cricket markets should be easy to locate and at the end of this round up, we will provide a guide to our preferred cricketing bookmakers. When it comes to betting on the result, the bookies will have a shorter price on the favourites while the outsiders will generally carry an odds against figure.

In Twenty20 cricket, the format is so quick and so hard to predict that some bettors feel they can make regular profits by betting on the outsiders. Some tournaments can also produce patterns where, for example, the side batting second tends to win more matches. These are just two more additional strategies that can be used in the quest to turn the odds in your favour.

Cricket Bets Explained

The simplest cricket bet involves speculating on the result and which of the two sides is likely to come through with a win. As we’ve seen, there are only two possible outcomes in limited overs cricket with the potential for a victory for either side while in first class cricket, we may also see a drawn game.

A top batsman bet involves staking on which player in an individual side will score most runs in the match while the top bowler equivalent relates to the player who returns best innings figures. In the event of two bowlers taking the same number of wickets, the profit comes from the player who concedes fewest runs.

Many other cricket bets are self-explanatory such as Most Sixes, Highest Opening Partnership and Next Wicket to Fall. In general, this is a very simple sport to understand with potential for good profits for those that can back up their research with the right predictions.

How do Cricket Betting Odds work?

Cricket betting odds, like all sports, are calculated based on form and strength of sides / players on show. The team with the strongest squad and better form will therefore start as favourites before the odds setters work through and apply longer prices to the remaining options.

Canadian players should find that they have the option to play with American odds but if they want to alter this at any time, the bookmaker in question should provide a drop down menu where these can be changed to either fractional or decimal odds depending on the individual player’s preference. In general, cricket odds work in the same way as any sport with the favourites decided based on their likelihood of coming through and delivering a profit.

Top Cricket Betting Events

Like all sports, cricket has its marquee events and when these tournaments come along, the betting starts to build around them, the sport has two World Cups in different formats, both of which are currently scheduled to be played every four years and then there are classic battles in the test, one day international and T20 international forms too.

Since T20 cricket came along in 2003, tournaments have been set up in individual countries around the world, starting in England and moving on to India, Australia, West Indies and all established nations and now, of course, Canada has hosted a major tournament too.

ICC Cricket World Cup

The first ICC cricket world cup was played in 1975 and is currently played on a four year rotating basis. The most recent tournament took place in Australia and New Zealand in 2015 and the next event is scheduled for England and Wales in 2019.

This is the World Cup for the 50 over form of the game and currently, it features ten countries, two of which arrive at the tournament after coming through a series of qualifiers. All of the best cricket bookmakers will have a busy set of outright and match betting for the ICC flagship competition.

ICC World T20

With T20 cricket starting in 2003 and gaining a big following in a short space of time, the very first World Cup for the shortest form was played in 2007. Initially, the tournament was played every two years but, like its 50 over counterpart, this has been extended to a four year gap with the next competition set to take place in Australia in 2020.

The West Indies are the most successful team in the history of this tournament with two titles and they attract attention in the outright markets which comprise a busy set of betting options whenever the T20 World Cup takes place.

ICC Champions Trophy

The Champions Trophy is another 50 over competition which takes a similar format to the ICC World Cup. The competition was first held in 1998 in Bangladesh and the most recent edition took place in England in 2017 with Pakistan winning their first ever title.

The tournament was held on a less-strict basis than the World Cup but in general it took place every four years. Currently, it is on hiatus and there are no plans for the next tournament but with demand for international one-day cricket at an all time high, it may well return in the future.

Test Matches

Test cricket had, up until 2017, been played between two countries over five days and it had been that way since the first game took place back in 1877. The format largely continues in this fashion although in December 2017 the first ever four day test took place between South Africa and Zimbabwe.

As of 2018, there are twelve countries with test match status and they are England, Australia, India, West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan. Teams play each other on a rotating basis with fixtures decided by the International Cricket Council – ICC.

Ashes Series

The Ashes features the oldest competition between two test playing nations. England and Australia played the first ever test match way back in 1877 and some years later, the famous urn was created as the official trophy.

The schedule means that Australia will generally travel to England every four years while the fixtures are then reversed meaning that there will rarely be more than a two year gap between Ashes series. There have been some stunning, hard fought matches between these two over almost 150 years of competition and when the Ashes come around, it’s one of the busiest times for bookmakers and the cricket betting community.

Indian Premier League

The Indian Premier League (IPL) came along in 2008 at a time when T20 cricket was really starting to take off around the world. In ten years, the competition had become the biggest and costliest cricketing event on the planet with all of the best twenty20 exponents taking part.

This is also the only global T20 event that Indian players are allowed to take part in and that helps to make it the best tournament of its kind. Held for nearly two full months across April and May every year, the IPL has proved to be so popular that the game’s governing bodies now have to stop virtually all international cricket in order to give the competition its own window in the calendar.

Cricket Betting Events in Canada

Twenty20

International cricket has been played in Canada for over 100 years and the country has previously competed in 50 over World Cups. Recently, the nation has been granted full Twenty20 status by the ICC so that every game played against a team of similar stature will be considered as a full T20i after January 1st 2019.

That was a significant moment for the game and it will undoubtedly speed up the development of T20 in Canada and of cricket as a whole. When the Canadian T20 side start to play the recognised Twenty20 matches, they will attract huge interest from all bettors, both in Canada and beyond.

Global T20

From 28 June to 15 July 2018, six teams took part in the first ever Global T20 across Canada. Five local sides were present along with a representative XI from the West Indies and the tournament attracted some of the best exponents of the T20 game.

The competition itself was won by the Vancouver Knights who defeated West Indies B by seven wickets in the final which was played in Ontario. The event was regarded as a huge success with some high profile players taking part including the Australian pair of Steve Smith and David Warner who used the tournament to return to competitive cricket. Dates for the next Global T20 have yet to be confirmed but it’s widely hoped that this will be a permanent fixture on the cricketing calendar.

How to Choose the Best Cricket Betting Site

When a country has a number of restrictions in terms of online betting, it’s very important to make the right choice when it comes to signing up with a bookmaker. Just because an operator is trading in the specific country isn’t reason enough to get on board so how does a player choose?

Firstly, for Canadian customers it’s useful to find a sportsbook that lets them play in CAD. This isn’t essential but it certainly helps when you know how much you’re staking and playing with, rather than having to mentally carry out a currency conversion. Moving on, players will want the usual mix of competitive odds along with a wide range of markets.

Where cricket is concerned, that means seeking out an operator who offers prices on all of the major events such as the Ashes, the ICC World Cup and the Indian Premier League, together with the smaller competitions at county and state level around the world.

Similarly, a good set of prop bets is desirable alongside the outright markets and match result betting for every individual game. Of course, punters should also look for a bookmaker that provides strong prices for all sports and is often out on their own with the best price for an event.

Taking all of those points into account, here are our recommendations for the best cricket betting sites for Canadian players.

Sports Interaction

This is good option to start your cricket betting journey as Sports Interaction are a Canadian company who have complied with the rules and regulations that allow them to trade within the country. The default currency is Canadian Dollars and the whole site is geared up to give the nation’s punters the best possible betting experience.

In terms of cricket betting, Sports Interaction were very active during the 2018 Global T20 so they are serious about giving good coverage for matches and competitions all over the world. The odds here are very competitive for cricket and for any sport and there is a generous welcome bonus for Canadian players to get things underway.

Bet365

Bet365 are known as the pioneers and one of the market leaders when it comes to live betting and that applies for any sport. They have a comprehensive set of in play cricket options and with so many games being played all over the world, there is likely to be a bet available for every day of the year.

While they have that reputation for live play, bet365’s pre-match prices are hard to beat and they arguably have the most cricket markets, including prop bets, of any bookmaker on this list. Their cricket odds are published early too so there’s no waiting around for markets to be declared ahead of the big games.

Bodog

The Bodog brand first appeared back in 1994 and in the modern digital age, that makes them one of the oldest internet-focused sportsbooks. That length of trading leads to trust but there’s much more to enjoy including a welcome bonus that can go all the way up to a mighty $200.00.

They are a dedicated North American brand and we think that’s important too but beyond that, there is the usual mix of competitive odds and choice of markets. They are a flexible company so it’s not all about the sports that are most popular in the US and Bodog’s cricket betting has great coverage right across the world.

SportingBet

This is another bookmaker with a long history as SportingBet first came online in 1998. Trust is therefore evident and the sportsbook operates in 26 countries across the globe – including Canada.

Those hoping for an early bonus before moving on elsewhere will be disappointed as there is no welcome deal available at the time of writing but for those who want to hang around for the long term, the benefits lies in SportingBet’s consistently good prices for cricket and other sports. There is a good coverage of cricket with matches of all stature and punters will find that SportingBet are frequently out on their own with the best odds for many cricketing markets.

888Sport

If you like a welcome bonus to be backed up by ongoing offers and promotions, 888Sport is the place to be. They always have some form of deal going on and while these aren’t necessarily tied in to cricket specifically, there are generic promos that can be applied to any sport.

Prices are strong too and 888 are probably second only to bet365 when it comes to providing a wide choice of betting options and prop bets for the bigger cricket games around the world. Canadian players are made very welcome here so 888Sport is definitely one of the first names to add to your cricket betting portfolio.

Royal Panda

Royal Panda initially started life online as a casino operator but their newly launched sportsbook has come a long way in a very short space of time. There isn’t perhaps the biggest choice of markets so for those players who like the more obscure prop bets, it may be an idea to look elsewhere but where Royal Panda really score is on their pricing.

It’s quite rare for a new sportsbook to be so competitive so quickly but having already made it onto the main odds comparison site, we can see how strong the prices are here. Royal Panda are accommodating for Canadian players and in terms of great value on the most popular cricket betting markets, this is definitely a place to check out.